Villanova’s College of Nursing to receive Inglis 2015 Award for Continuing Excellence

VILLANOVA, Pa. - The Villanova University College of Nursing is among the six winners of the 2015 Inglis Awards for Continuing Excellence, according to a May 12 announcement from the Inglis Board of Directors. It is being recognized for its inclusion of disability-related care in its curricula and for its disability-related research. The honorees will receive the cash award at a ceremony at Philadelphia’s Inglis House on May 20.

The mission of the College of Nursing is to assist individuals, families and communities to maintain, restore, and promote health through direct care and by shaping health policy. The College advances this mission by broadening its curriculum to educate undergraduate nurses and nurse practitioners about the health care needs and barriers experienced by persons with disabilities. In addition to the integration of disability-related content into the curriculum, the College pursues research and uses patients with disabilities to increase the students’ knowledge and effective communications with this population. Most recently, the College has taken on a national leadership role by collaborating with the National League for Nursing to spearhead the inclusion of similar curriculum in nursing programs nationwide.

“This award recognizes a group of faculty who are championing the care of people with disabilities. It will be instrumental in the continuation of our Standardized Patients with Disabilities Program and our work with the National League for Nursing to grow our efforts at the national level,” notes Suzanne Smeltzer, EdD, RN, FAAN, professor and director of the College’s Center for Nursing Research.

The Inglis Awards program honors the outstanding performance of not-for-profit organizations in the Greater Delaware Valley that enhance the quality of life for people with physical disabilities, and by doing so, support the Inglis mission of enabling people with disabilities – and those who care for them – to achieve their goals and live life to the fullest.

About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges – the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University School of Law. As students grow intellectually, Villanova prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.

About Villanova

Villanova University was founded in 1842 by the Order of St. Augustine. To this day, Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition is the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University’s six colleges.